New Year, new opportunities, goals and mantras

The start of the New Year signals 365 days where new opportunities will present, goals can be chased and adventures can be had.

In the lead up to New Years Eve, or in the first few days of the New Year, we set ourselves some resolutions or goals that we want to achieve over the coming months - these often form around the these of fitness, health, money and travel. But what we often don't do it define a word (or words) for the year. By setting ourselves a word, or a mantra, it provides us with a way to remain focus and inspired with chasing our goals throughout the coming year.

How do you come up with the perfect word for the year? Who says you need to have just one? You may decide to pick one word that will encompass all you do this year, or you may pick one overarching word, with additional words to support you throughout the year, or even a monthly word. Work out what is going to help you achieve your goals this year and decide on the number of words you want accordingly.

Our tips for picking your word for the year:

• Take a moment for reflect and be self aware

  • taking a quiet timeout to reflect can help you to clearly identify what it is you're hoping to achieve throughout the year.

  • do all your goals have a common theme? is there one word that links the goals together?

• Visualise the word/s you identified

  • create a vision board if it helps you to plan out and visualise the words you have come up with.

  • do other words then start coming to mind? are these new words or variances on the ones you originally came up with?

• Brainstorm

  • sometimes it's not as easy to come up with a clearly defined word.

  • declutter your mind - start a mind map and just write down every word that comes to you, and circle/highlight any recurring theme.

• Narrow your options

  • See if you can limit your selection of words to just 3-5 options.

  • From the moment you started this process you may have had one word that clearly stood out to you, making it easy for you to reduce your selection of words. In other cases, there are still a number of words that resonate with you. Both outcomes are ok - it just indicates that there may be a few guiding principles that you'll be using to guide you through the year.

  • Just don't be in a rush to select a word - the right one/s will come to you when you're ready.

• Test your word/s and tell others

  • By sharing your word and publicising it, it helps you to stay accountable.

I've added my list of words from my brain storm to a letter board on my desk. While I'm not intending on using all of these words this year, they all resonated with me.

• Courage

  • to try new things, to accept that things happen for a reason, to not be afraid of what's to come..

  • sub-words: strength, believe, brave

• Determination

  • to finish my Bachelor's degree this year, to succeed, to make the most of opportunities that come along..

  • sub-words: focus, expand,

• Inspire

  • to inspire others to achieve, to inspire people to travel and learn, to show my daughter that anything is possible

  • sub-words: believe, growth, empower, opportunity, explore, consistent

• Faith

  • to know that things will be ok..

  • sub-words: self, health, flourish, brave,

• Balance

  • a better work/life balance, mental and physical health, fun, relaxation, friends..

  • sub-words: health, fun, growth, self, focus

• Love

  • family, friends, travel, self-care, projects and hobbies

  • sub-words: inspire, self, empower, growth, health, flourish, explore

Don't be hard on yourself if the words don't come easily, or if you find yourself changing your word throughout the year. It's all part of our own growth and development.

Here's to a great 2019! xx